Worship

St. Mary’s is home to a diversity of liturgical expressions, each with their own personality, each offering their unique way to gather and worship our God. As a community, we seek to honour this breadth of liturgical styles, so that everyone may be able to find a sense of belonging and welcome in whichever service they attend.

Weekly Worship

Sundays

8:00 am ~ In-Person

Our 8am service follows a traditional style. We use the Book of Alternative Services. It is a quiet and more contemplative service with no music.

(Healing Prayer resumes in the Fall)

10:00 am ~ Hybrid

Our 10am service has musical accompaniment from our choir and organist. It lasts for about an hour. We primarily use the hymnals.

Throughout the school year, we offer children’s formation during the service. In the summer, we switch to offering colouring pages & parent take-home sheets in the Children’s Soft Space.

1st Sunday: Spirit Sunday
(Healing Prayer resumes in the Fall)

Worship with Children

We celebrate the Holy Eucharist at every service. Both bread and wine are offered, but it’s perfectly fine to receive only one element and not the other. Communion is distributed at the communion rail, where people may stand or kneel to receive. We also have gluten-free bread for those who cannot tolerate wheat. Simply ask an usher on Sunday morning if you need this alternative.

Iona Prayer (monthly service)

The daily prayer practice of the Iona Community in Scotland comes from an inspired and beautiful liturgy that St. Mary’s worshippers will find both familiar and fresh. It is a gorgeous way to end the day and a perfect reset for the week ahead.

Offered once a month, at 7:30pm (in person)
Dates Announced: Oct.27th, Nov.24th, Dec.15th (then will resume in the Spring)

Music Ministry

The music ministry at St. Mary’s aims to provide spiritual nourishment through the God-given gift of music. Throughout our heritage as Christian people, music has played a fundamental role in worship and in being part of our outreach to others. While grounded in the wealth of great choral and organ compositions of the past, the music we offer also embraces works by living composers and of other Christian traditions.

The 25-voice choir provides leadership in music-making, offering choral music for all our major festivals and special liturgical events. These include
• Advent Lessons & Carols
• Christmas Lessons & Carols
• Ash Wednesday
• Palm/Passion Sunday – our tradition is to focus on the Palm liturgy at the 10am service, and on the Passion readings at a special 4pm service.
• Maundy Thursday
• Good Friday
• Great Vigil
• Diocesan and Archdeaconry events
Our choir sings at the 10am Sunday morning services, offering both congregational leadership, using the music of Taize, Iona, and other communities, as well as a traditional Anglican repertoire of Eucharist settings, anthems, and motets from the plainchant of the Middle Ages to contemporary works. The choir is led by a core quartet of experienced paid singers.
If you are interested in joining our choir, please contact our Director of Music, Kirk, at music@stmaryskerrisdale.ca
The Family Choir of adults and children has been on hiatus since Covid hit us, and we hope to begin it again to help to lead the monthly Wonder Sunday services. We have a set of handbells that are used for psalmody and special anthems.
The organ is a 3-manual 1964 Casavant with an older console, 1955. It was modernized in 2010. It is used for the 10am Sunday morning services as well as special services and occasional recitals.

Worship with Children

We believe the way we welcome children in church directly affects the way they respond to church, to God, and to Christ. Help us let them know that they are welcome here.

We encourage you to sit where the children can see and hear the service. We encourage you to sing the hymns, pray, and voice the responses; children learn liturgical behaviour from copying you. If you need to leave the service with your child, please feel free to do so, but please come back!

God feeds all children. If you want your child to receive the bread (wine too - that’s up to you), please have them put their hands out with you.
In our Sanctuary we have a safe, comfy space (near the front on the right) for children to be - where children can play, draw, colour, read, and more. It’s an alternative to the pews which some children may find uncomfortable or boring, and offers them a front-row view of the service.
At St. Mary’s we love incorporating children into our worship. Children can be readers, intercessors (leading the prayers), and servers. We also love to think creatively with a family, on how to incorporate their child when there’s a specific interest of the child’s.
Throughout the school year, during our 10am worship on Sunday mornings, we have Children’s Chapel programming (ages 0-9) in the Library near the Sanctuary doors leading to the washrooms and the rest of the building.
The only exception is on the first Sunday of the month, our 10am worship takes the shape of a Spirit Sunday, and children are encouraged to participate in this intergenerational service.
In the summer, we switch to offering colouring pages & parent take-home sheets in the Children’s Soft Space.
Click here to learn more about the other Family Ministry programs we offer.

Liturgical Ministries

These ministry teams help with our worship services each week. Interested in volunteering for any of these teams? Please contact our Volunteer Coordinator, Jean (email).

Our Servers help worship to flow throughout the service. They help carry the cross and torches in procession, help with setting the altar at the offertory, and generally help the clergy with the liturgy. We are always glad to have more volunteers.
Chancel Guild members help prepare for Eucharist and other sacraments like baptism and marriage that are vital to parish life. The Guild's ministry includes laundering linens, polishing silver and brass, managing supplies and organizing memorial flowers. Members also decorate the Church for major festivals.
Our Lectors help with reading the lessons and leading the intercessions (prayer petitions) during worship.
Our Greeters & Ushers are our ambassadors to newcomers and visitors. They arrive a little early on Sunday and help people find bulletins and places to sit and help with the offertory collection.
Our Lay Eucharistic Ministers are specially trained to help administer the chalice at Communion.
Our Choir provides music for the 10am service and special Holy days. It rehearses on Thursday evenings at 6:30pm and on Sunday mornings at 9am. If you can’t make a permanent commitment, you may sing for special Christmas and Easter choirs.
Our Coffee Hour Hosts set up for coffee hour after Sunday services. They set out cups and napkins, make coffee, and provide half-and-half, pastries, and juice. Hosts are also responsible for clean-up, but often others volunteer to help.